a space for holy commotion and examination

Author: Joanna

“They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried.” ― Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried I sat on the shore, looking out at the Atlantic, and I didn't really know what had brought me there or what I had brought with me. I had … Continue reading the things we carry

"It was during the war." Lita spoke into the darkness of her room as I sat on the bed next to her, a rare moment of communion amidst the business of both of our lives. My grandmother continued: "In Europe, Jews were being kicked out, and the U.S. was refusing to take any of them … Continue reading the stranger

"You keep stopping." Ms. Youshiura, my piano teacher of 3 years, nodded towards my fingers, which had stuttered to a halt after messing up the third movement of Clementi's Sonatina Op. 36 in C Major--for the fifth time. Taking in another shuddery wet breath (I was on the verge of tears by this point), I … Continue reading play it through

The city was no exotic landmark for any of us homegrown New York surburbanites, but we still all scrambled for bus seats as we headed to New York City for our high school Fashion Design field trip. We were seniors, caught in that giddy sort of post-exams state, knowing graduation and all that lay beyond … Continue reading blacklisted

After my second time watching Black Panther, my friend and I (both black women in our 20s) could not stop texting each other, overwhelmed by the urgency to unpack the film in all its layers. While we dived into a number of topics (the brilliance of all the kickass black women being one of them), … Continue reading watch your tone as you mourn the body

These days, it's easy to be a "citizen of the world." Within a minute, I scan storm updates for the Caribbean on Twitter, get an email alert from one of my French advisees, and dig into a burrito from the joint next door as I sit in a dress made in El Salvador. Without breaking … Continue reading going global